Christmas lights holder

ABSTRACT

A bracket for supporting decorative lights from, for instance, a rain gutter of a building having a member that extends under a gutter support such as a gutter nail or gutter nail with a sleeve around it, the bracket member having extensions that extend away from the nail and then rise to the top of the gutter, extend over it and down a short distance where these extensions extend toward one another and then away from one another after approaching to a distance that approximates the diameter of the socket for the bulb. The extensions moving away from one another are in the form of spirals to hold the wires extending from the socket. The downward part of the extension may be angled inwardly to maintain contact with an inwardly sloping outer surface of the gutter. In a configuration for carrying the wires of the string around a corner, the member that normally extends under the gutter support is raised to a generally horizontal plane and configured to contact the inner surfaces of the walls defining the gutter on the two sides of the angle. Otherwise, the structures are similar except that no provision for the socket of the bulb may be required.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for Christmas lightsand more particularly to a Christmas light holder suspended from a raingutter of a house or other building structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Christmas lights are typically hung on trees or houses and othertypes of buildings; office buildings, buildings at shopping centers, andthe like. Quite often the lights are hung from the gutters of suchbuildings but the stringing process is often difficult particularlywhere it is desired to eliminate sagging between supports. This is notto infer that it cannot be done but considerable effort is involved inachieving such results.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a support forChristmas lights strung from rain gutters of buildings.

[0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide abracket that can be secured to the rain gutter of a building andsecurely hold a Christmas light bulb and the wires connected to thebulb.

[0005] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide abracket for supporting Christmas lights from a rain gutter or the like,the bracket having a partial loop that fits under and/or partly around agutter nail to securely hold the bracket.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] A bracket according to the present invention has in one form twohalves that are mirror images of one another. The two halves are joinedby a partial loop that is intended to pass under a gutter nail and comeup under and, in one embodiment, partially surround it. Such arrangementprovides strong support for the bracket preventing it from beingaccidentally pulled off of the gutter except by destroying it.

[0007] The bracket flares outwardly from the two ends of the partialloop above the gutter nail all in a plane parallel to the longitudinaldimension of the gutter. The ends of the flared members terminate inright angle members that pass over the top of the gutter and then extenddownwardly by a sufficient distance to grasp the gutter. The ends of thedownward extensions turn at right angles away from each other parallelto the longitudinal dimension of the gutters and are spiralled. Thewires of the bulb are situated in the spirals supporting the bulb socketin the region between the spirals.

[0008] The downward extensions may be angled inwardly to grasp thegutter between the interior and exterior parts.

[0009] In a form of the bracket used for guiding the wire around acorner of the gutter, the members that flare out from the loop arelocated at right angles to one another so that the two members extendover the two sections of the gutter at right angles to one another.

[0010] The above and other features, objects and advantages of thepresent invention, together with the best means contemplated by theinventor thereof for carrying out the invention will become moreapparent from reading the following description of a preferredembodiment and perusing the associated drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment useful withsmall bulbs in regions of relatively mild weather;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 1 installed on agutter;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the bracket of FIG. 1installed on a gutter with a bulb in place;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a top view of a modification of the bracket of FIG. 1useful in regions of strong winds;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 4 installed on agutter;

[0016]FIG. 6 illustrates a bracket for going around corners; and

[0017]FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the bracket of FIGS. 4 and 5installed on a gutters

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Referring specifically to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, apartial loop 2 of a holder generally designated by the reference numeral1 is normally retained in a generally vertical position about a gutternail and sleeve 3 as seen in FIG. 2. The loop 2 terminates at its upperends in extensions 6 and 8 that extend in opposite directions from oneanother at generally right angles to the nail and sleeve 3. The loop 2at the junction with members 6 and 8 is less open at its upper end thanits lower end to assist in retaining the holder on sleeve 3.

[0019] The extensions 6 and 8 terminate in members 14 and 16,respectively, that extend at right angles from members 6 and 8,respectively, and come across a front lip 15 of a gutter 17. The members14 and 16 terminate in downwardly extending members 20 and 22,respectively, in front of gutter 17.

[0020] As a result of the relatively wide separation between the members14 and 16, provided to maintain stability of the bracket, bulb and wiresupports 30 and 32 extending at right angles from members 14 and 16,must initially be directed toward one another to close this gap tosupport a bulb socket. The space left between these members shouldpreferably be no more than the width of a socket 19 of a bulb 21 to besupported by the bracket. Specifically the members 20 and 22 terminatein inwardly extending members 24 and 26, respectively, leaving a gap 28therebetween to accept the socket for a bulb. The members are thenturned at 1800 to provide for the helical members 30 and 32 in whichwires 23 and 25 leading from socket 19 are wound and supported.

[0021] The bracket shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is intended for use with smallbulbs and sockets in relatively mild environments. This bracket issubject to a number of modifications.

[0022] Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 of the accompanying drawings,there is illustrated a bracket for use with large bulbs.

[0023] The bracket again has a loop 37 for engaging a sleeve 35 aroundthe gutter nail (not illustrated) of a gutter 49. The upper ends of loopterminate in members 42 and 44 extending outwardly parallel to thegutter. Members 46 and 48 extend across the top of the gutter frommembers 42 and 46, respectively.

[0024] As viewed in FIGS. 5 and 7, the gutter 49 has a verticaldownwardly depending surface 51 followed by an inwardly slanted section53. The bracket has downwardly extending legs 41 and 43 seated againstsurface 51 and continuing into inwardly extending legs 50 and 51 beingillustrated in FIG. 7. These legs follow the contour of the gutter andthus engage surfaces 51 and 53 of the gutter holding the bracket tightlyagainst the nail-sleeve arrangement and the surface 53 of the guttermaking for a strong connection between the two.

[0025] The members 50 and 55 and its counterpart have outwardlyextending legs, 52 and 56 being illustrated. The legs 52 and 56terminate in spiral wire holders 58 and 60, respectively. Thus thelights are held out from the gutter for great visibility both from thefront and the side.

[0026] Referring now to FIG. 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated acorner bracket useful for taking the string of lights around a corner. Agutter 63 is illustrated with sections 65 and 67 at right angles to oneanother. Turns of more or less than 90° can be accommodated.

[0027] Specifically, the loop of the bracket is raised into a horizontalplane and is conformed to the angle between sections 65 and 67 of thegutter 63, in this instance, 90°. Thus a bracket having right angledlegs 64 and 66 seats against the interior surfaces of sections 65 and67, respectively. The legs 64 and 66 terminate in inwardly directedright angled members 68 and 70, respectively. The gap of FIG. 1 is nowseen as gap 72 in FIG. 6. Angled members 74 and 76 extend away frommembers 68 and 70 and turn and extend as members 78 and 80 over the topof the gutter sections 65 and 67, respectively. The members 78 and 80then turn down and carry wire support spirals 82 and 84 extending towardthe corner of the gutter to carry the wires away from the sharp edge ofthe corner of the gutter.

[0028] Thus the brackets securely support Christmas lights from eitherof two of the more common types of gutters and can readily accommodateother styles of gutters. The corner bracket securely holds the wires ofa string of lights even around bends in the gutters.

[0029] Once given the above disclosure, many other features,modifications and improvements will become apparent to the skilledartisan. Such features, modifications and improvements are, therefore,considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to bedetermined by the following claims.

1. A bracket for supporting decorative lights on a rain gutter securedto a building or similar structure by a support usually including nailand/or a nail covered by a sleeve, the bracket comprising a memberextending under, partially around and adapted to contact the support,arms extending outwardly in opposite directions from said memberlongitudinally of the gutter for a predetermined distance, said armsterminating in generally horizontal members that extend over the top ofthe gutter, said horizontal members having downwardly extending members,said downwardly extending members terminate in right angle membersdirected toward one another for a distance such as to leave a gapslightly larger than the socket for a bulb to be supported by thebracket, said right angle members terminate in generally spiral shapedmembers directed away from one another.
 2. A bracket according to claim1 further comprising an open loop defining said member extending underthe support.
 3. A bracket according to claim 2 wherein said loopterminates with said arms spaced apart by less than the width of saidsupport.
 4. A bracket according to claim 1 wherein said downwardlyextending members are angled inwardly to contact an inwardly angledsurface of the gutter.
 5. A bracket for supporting wires extending fromthe socket for a light bulb or other source of illumination, wherein thesocket and light bulb are to be supported on a gutter of a building orother structure having rain gutters or other front facing channeledmember including means for supporting said member and extending adistance along a surface of the structure, said bracket comprising,means for securely supporting said bracket in said channel member, saidmeans having first members extending over a front top surface of thechanneled member, said first members having downwardly extending membersfor a relatively short distance, said downwardly extending membersterminating in right angle members directed toward one another for adistance such as to leave a gap slightly larger than the socket for abulb to be supported by the bracket, said right angle membersterminating in generally spiral shaped members directed away from oneanother.
 6. A bracket according to claim 5 wherein said means forsupporting said bracket includes a loop firmly contacting said channeledmember.
 7. A bracket according to claim 5 wherein said means forsupporting said channeled members includes a loop pressed firmly againstthe channel member.
 8. A bracket according to claim 7 wherein said looppasses under and contacts a channel member.
 9. A bracket according toclaim 5 wherein said loop contacts inner surfaces of said channelmember.
 10. A bracket according to claim 9 wherein the channel memberhas an angle, said bracket having angled members having an angle betweenthem at the same angle as that between the channel members disposed atan angle to one another.
 11. A bracket for hanging decorative lights ona rain gutter secured to a building or similar structure by a supportusually including nail and/or a nail covered by a sleeve, the bracketcomprising a member extending under, partially around and adapted tocontact the support, arms extending from said member and havingextensions directed over the top of the gutter, said horizontal membershaving downwardly extending members, said downwardly extending membersterminating in generally spiral shaped members directed away from oneanother.
 12. A bracket according to claim 11 wherein said extensionsextend at right angles to one another.
 13. A bracket according to claim12 further comprising generally horizontal members lying at right anglesto one another, lying between said extensions and contacting innersurfaces of said gutter lying at an angle to one another.